As this community continues to wrestle with the complex issues surrounding the crime rate and the perception of public safety here, the importance of the public school system — and particularly the dropout rate — cannot be overlooked. Statistics show that keeping kids in school and seeing them earn a high school diploma dramatically decreases the likelihood they will land in jail.

It is therefore appropriate that a steep decline in the dropout rate, confirmed last week, be cause for celebration across Pitt County. The public schools have taken an aggressive approach to identify those at risk of dropping out and worked tirelessly to keep them in school, effort that is showing the type of results that benefit this community.

Many in the county were shocked when Pitt County Schools reported an alarmingly high dropout rate five years ago. North Carolina posted a relatively high 5.27 percent figure for the 2006-07, but this community dwarfed it with a 6.89 percent figure. The county was losing hundreds of children each year, seeing them walk away from the classroom without the skills needed to be productive, contributing members of society.

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